Sleepy at Staines

 On the lifer hunt today, with a Lesser Scaup, being identified at Staines Reservoir, I decided a little jaunt up the motorway was in order, I know there is limited parking so an early start was essential. I had three main worries😲😳 firstly the weather forecast had fog patches written all over it and I drove through a couple on the M23, but was lovely and clear on arrival, phew!! Second concern was that it would be frozen over and the birds would have buggered off, but no sign of any ice at all another phew! Thirdly that the bird would be miles away!! But no it reasonably close in a raft of Pochard!!Phew, phew and double phew!!😀

I arrived before sunrise, found a parking space and headed up onto the causeway, lovely still morning, a small raptor flew past me and landed on the railings in front of me, was a total silhouette in the early morning gloom, but pretty sure it was a Kestrel!

Think it's a Kestrel!

Several birders already present and soon had me onto the bird, which was asleep in the middle of the Pochard flock! Looked pretty good through the scope but was a bit to distant for anything but record shots, couple taken through the scope below!

Lesser Scaup with Pochards

and again

Lots of Pied Wagtails running about and a couple of Great Crested Grebes in close.

Pied Wagtail

Great Crested Grebe

We were then treated to fabulous Sunrise!

Rather than soak up the awesome spectacle of Nature the Lesser Scaup continued to sleep!😏😢

Still asleep

With the LS showing no sign of action, I decided to walk the causeway, very distant on the North Basin 3 Black-necked Grebes were having a funny few minutes, looked good through the scope, but pictures were optimistic to say the least!

The Black-necked Grebes are in front of the Cormorants told you they were distant!

Plenty of Tufted Ducks about, a few Little Grebes, lot's of Pied Wagtails and Black-headed Gulls flying along the causeway!

Black-headed Gull

Tufties

Tufted Duck

Plenty of Planes in and out of Heathrow

Pied Wagtail

Great Crested Grebe

Pied Wagtail

Little Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Tufted Duck

Black-headed Gull

Another Plane

Teal

I spotted another couple of Black-necked Grebes this time on the South Basin, not near but closer than the others.

Black-necked Grebe

Another Birder pointed out a couple of male Goldeneye close in, and while I watched a Female and another Male flew in which triggered a bit of display behaviour which was fun to watch so close!

Male Goldeneye

Getting a bit frisky

Bit of Scenery!

Goldeneye heading off!

They are stunning birds close up! Another birder had reported a Water Pipit, so I scoured  the banks, Searching through the numerous Wigeon, Coots and Common Gulls, every small bird turned into a Pied Wagtail but I persevered  and blow me I actually found one, but it was miles away!!  Whoop!!😂

Very distant Water Pipit, but was fairly obvious through the scope!

I headed back, the Goldeneye performed well again!

Herring Gull looking lovely in the light

Male Goldeneye having a wash and brush up!

Female Goldeneye

Pretty much failed to get em diving

Tufted Duck

They are stunners, headed back to the Lesser Scaup and guess what, yep was still asleep, never saw it put it's head up once!!😢😂

Little Grebe were lively at least!

Still asleep!😢

So the star bird was a bit of a disappointment, however a lifer is a lifer so no complaints and the Sunrise and the Goldeneyes were worth the trip on their own!!!